Naturescaping for Backyard Habitat Tour

By Gardennia nutii

I just found out about a really cool event: the Naturescaping for Backyard Habitat Tour on May 15th. Here is a link for more details on the tour and how to register: www.emswcd.org/workshops-events

The group coordinating this tour also has many free workshops on naturescaping and rain gardens. I attended the naturescaping series a few years ago and learned great tips for incorporating natives into my yard, how to measure and create landscaping plans, and how to provide habitat for birds, butterflies, bees, and more...

How do you attract wildlife to your yard? Let us know!

Herds of Worms...

By Gardennia nutii

I've been thinking a lot about worms lately. Not just because they've been working their magic in my soil, but the heavy rain has driven them out of the earth and I've been trying not to step on them while out on my walks. Well…it looks like a lot of people have been thinking about worms because a new study shows that they form herds, make group decisions and “use touch to communicate and influence each other's behavior.” Read more about this discovery in this BBC article.

Also, Christopher Lloyd, the author of What on Earth Evolved?, ranked earthworms at the top of the "most successful species" list. I haven't read the book yet (it's in my library queue), but have heard several interviews and can't wait to find our more about these lovely wriggly creatures. They have survived five extinction events and have been especially helpful to our civilization by plowing and fertilizing the soil...in herds apparently.

How do you invite worms into your garden? We'd like to know.

Who Knew? Plants that are Toxic to Pets....

By Gardennia nutii

Many Random Acts readers are familiar with Ann's adorable golden retriever Barney (hands down one of the cutest dogs ever). But I'm happy to announce that we'll soon have another dog in our Blog family - Archer. I have three weeks until I get to pick him up and am now busy buying all necessary pet accoutrements. One thing I decided to do in this preparation process was look to see if I have any toxic plants in my house and yard. I almost wish I hadn’t started to look into this...because many of my favorites turn out to be deadly when ingested.

The most comprehensive list of toxic plants I've found is from the ASPCA: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/plants/. The list is VERY comprehensive; it lists 392 plants that are toxic to dogs – many of which surprised me. Another good source is Wikipedia. This site lists foods that are toxic as well: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_poisonous_plants.

I've decided to have a balanced approach to this task and focus on the "worst" plants…and those that I just don't like any more and finally have an excuse to dig up and throw on the compost heap. (A covered compost heap now thanks to Archer).

Here is a link to the 17 of the most common poisonous plants: www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/17-common-poisonous-plants.html. This list includes lilies (I get a pass on this because they are mostly toxic to cats), sago palm, tulip/narcissus bulbs, azalea/rhododendron, oleander, castor bean, cyclamen, kalanchoe, yew, amaryllis, autumn crocus, chrysanthemum, english ivy (this is finally the excuse I need to get that final small patch removed), peace lily, pothos and schefflera.

My work is cut out for me, but it'll all be worth it as part of keeping Archer safe. And besides...just think of all the new plants I get to buy!

Do you have tips and tricks for gardening for your pet? Let us know!

Mother Earth Day

I hadn’t planned on posting an entry today…at least as of yesterday it wasn’t on my schedule of things to get done. Then this morning I remembered that today is Earth Day. It’s a day like Mothers Day or Fathers Day, in that we should honor our mothers and fathers every day but there is one day on the calendar that suggests we should pay special attention to our parents. Such is Earth Day to me, except that I think I’m better at honoring mother earth on a daily basis than I am at honoring my parents (sorry Mom and Dad!).

So I decided to take a quick stroll this morning through my garden before heading into work. Once again I was inspired by the miracle of plants and how gardens and green spaces tug at my heart and soul. Indulge me, please…

Is there anything else that can feed a soul and a body? My peas, fava beans, arugula, lettuce and other greens are emerging as the soil begins to warm. The figs and grapes are starting unfurl their leaves and the columnar apples and blueberries are blossoming. I have much to look forward to with the gift of nourishment, hope and a sense of accomplishment.


Is there anything that can top the Earth’s gift of color, shape and form? The tulips, pansies and heuchera are glowing with purples, oranges, reds and yellows.

Even decay in the garden is a beautiful thing, as is the unfurling of new life and the shape-changing form of ferns.


Anticipation of beauty and expectation vibrates in the garden on this Earth Day and—for me—every day in the garden. And I feel blessed that the other creatures on this Earth—the birds, bees, squirrels, Barney, earthworms—let me share it with them.

Happy Earth Day to you today and everyday.

Plants You Can’t Live Without

By Gardennia nutii

I decided to shop differently this year at the HPSO Spring Plant Sale & Garden Festival: instead of picking the plants myself I asked various nursery owners to tell me about the plants they couldn't live without and then bought those plants. A video of the nursery owners telling me why they love the plants they picked, and providing plant growing conditions and attributes is below. I'll plant these recommendations next weekend and give you an update on how they perform in a few months. Enjoy!

List of nurseries and plant recommendations:

• Ellen Egan of Egan Gardens (http://www.egangardens.com/) recommends Oenothera 'Lemon Drop'
• Fred Weisensee of Dancing Oaks Nursery (http://www.dancingoaks.com/) recommends Baptisia and Bletilla striata 'Kuchibeni'
• Carol Westergreen of Out in the Garden Nursery (http://www.outinthegardennursery.com/) recommends Farfugium japonicum 'Shishi Botan'
• Anthony Bernert of Green Gate Nursery (http://www.greengatenursery.com/) recommends Eomecon chionantha 'Snow Poppy' and Primula kisoana
• Becky Wright-Sell of Sedum Chicks (http://www.sedumchicks.com/) recommends Delosperma cooperi and Delosperma nubigenum
• Jim Gilbert of One Green World (http://www.onegreenworld.com/) recommends Figs and Lycium barbarum (Goji berry)

Enjoy Other Gardeners' Gardens

I love visiting other gardens. The next few months provide ample opportunity to visit some of the loveliest gardens in the area. And all benefit worthy organizations. So put them on your calendar and enjoy the efforts of your fellow gardeners! [Of course, if you’re a member of the Hardy Plant Society, you can visit the gardens of some of its members almost every weekend of the year. The Open Garden book is well worth the price of membership!]

May 29 – Inviting Vines (www.rogersonclematiscollection.org): a tour of six private gardens in SW Portland and the Rogerson Clematis Collection garden at Luscher Farm in Lake Oswego on Saturday, May 29, 2010 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

June 5 – Garden Conservancy Open Gardens: a tour of five private gardens in the Portland area from 10:00am - 4:00pm. This is an annual fundraiser for both the Garden Conservancy and HPSO's (Hardy Plant Society of Oregon) grants programs.

June 26 – Seeding Our Future (www.foundation4smartkids.org): Tour eight wonderful, private gardens in Tigard and Tualatin from 10am to 4pm. Garden art fair begins on Friday, June 25 at Tigard High School.

July 10 – Behind The Scenes Garden Tour: features nine gardens in NE and North Portland and Vancouver, Wash. areas. All of the gardens are designed by Association of Nothwest Landscape Designers (ANLD) members. Visit www.anld.com for more information.

If you know of other garden tours, let us know!

Before & After – Kip Nordstrom designer

Kip Nordstrom's client emphatically wanted an English-style garden surrounding her Portland area ranch-style home. Landscape designers like to factor in a home's architectural style to create a cohesive and complementary garden design. In this case, the client made changes to the façade of the home—adding shingles to replace the home's siding—to make her preferred garden style mesh with the homes appearance. That's commitment! A charming garden shed in back enhances the effect.
English-style gardens typically require a greater commitment to garden maintenance to keep exuberant borders looking their best. In this case, the client's husband preferred a lower maintenance yard, which posed a challenge for the garden designer. Easy care was forefront on Kip's mind as she created the design. Since the garden's installation, the client—a plant lover—has researched and added many more plants than were in the original design. And her husband has been very accommodating. To address steeply sloping front and back yards, Kip used stone walls to create multi-level spaces that are more visually appealing and functional. (And stonework is quintessential to English garden design.) Colorful plants add interest year-round and specimens plants can more easily be showcased. The front yard was completed first, followed a year later by the installation of the back garden. As many gardens do, they evolve over time. A future kitchen remodel needed to be accommodated in the backyard's design. This was accomplished by designing in lawn that can be easily removed when building begins. Landscape designers often offer their clients a wide range of services. In this instance, Kip created a design on paper, placing the boxwood hedging, trees and shrubs in the design but allowing flexibility in the selection and placement of perennials. She and the client initially shopped for plants together, but those plantings have since been supplemented with additional plant purchases. Kip sourced many of the plants found in the garden. A landscape contractor installed the stonework and many of the plants with Kip’s oversight to ensure the designed was adhered to correctly. "To design a garden that reflects the soul of the client, I must really understand the essence of the client," says Kip. "It's this part of the client-designer relationship that is most challenging. But once I 'get it,' the design moves forward quickly." The client's touches can be seen throughout in the plant selections and garden accoutrements. The neighbors are happy, but more importantly, the client is thrilled with the result.
Kip Nordstom Kip Norstrom Design LLC http://www.kipnordstromdesign.com/ kip@kipnordtromdesign.com 503.636.840 Member Association of Northwest Landscape Designers

Epimediums—A Trip to Joy Creek Nursery

Tall Douglas fir, spruce and giant sequoia grow in my backyard creating lots of dry shade. Which is all well and good except I that like lush woodland plantings. My pulmonarias (lungwort) do very well in areas under these trees and they provide sweet blue and/or pink flowers in the spring and striking foliage most of the year. So I’m very happy with those.

But I’ve also heard that epimediums are good dry shade plants and they also offer delicate flowers and shapely leaves. Joy Creek Nursery offers many (15) epimedium varieties and Maurice Horn, co-owner of the nursery, offered to help me select a few for my garden. I though you might like to come along for the visit, too.

For an interesting article on "Up and Coming Epimediums," visit www.finegardening.com/plants/articles/up-and-coming-epimediums.aspx.

Joy Creek is a must see nursery with an expansive display garden and a robust offering of workshops, which include "Divisions" (dividing perennials) April 11, “Paths and Circulation” April 18, and "Paths and Staircase Construction" April 25. All workshops start at 1pm. Check out www.joycreek.com for their catalog, workshop schedule and directions. Maurice is the guru of gravel (and “hell strip”) gardening and a big proponent of adding mycorrhiza to the soil for healthy plants. Oh, and he’s also an expert on clematis and hydrangeas and has introduced several plants into the trade, including Miscanthus sinensis 'Gold Bar'.